We’re creating treats for the pups in your life with left over parts and pieces that we cast iron chefs would just have thrown away otherwise. This is a beef and whole wheat treat you can make as easy as cookies.
We make a lot of bone broth. Seems there’s always a jar in the fridge with a brown-colored liquid filling most of the bottom of that jar with a “cap” of a white-ish fat just under the lid and resting on top of that brown liquid. It doesn’t look very appetizing; that’s for sure. But, the soups, stews, chilis, and even gumbos we create with that broth…well…they are memorable moments for sure!
Don’t Eat That!
Once upon a time, I am finishing up a broth and my wife comes home, “Ohhh, something sure smells good in here.” There’s a colander of steaming “meat” and, before I could say anything, she picks a piece up and is about to “enjoy” the before-dinner, sneak-a-bite. Luckily, she paused for a moment. After taking a closer look at what she had in her fingers and two inches from her mouth, “What is this?!”
And not one of those, “what is this that you are cooking because it’s so amazing” questions either. This was a “what is this that you are cooking and please tell me this is not for dinner because there’s other stuff in here that ain’t meat” accusatory questions.
Beef Bone Broth Recipe: https://beerandiron.com/2022/05/beer-beef-bone-broth-recipe-in-a-cast-iron-dutch-oven
Chicken Broth Recipe: https://beerandiron.com/2023/03/beer-and-chicken-bone-broth
It’s not Meat; It’s a Meat-ish Mix
It did smell good in the house. For sure. That broth was all jar-ed up and ready for the fridge, and that colander of meat-ish stuff sat there ready for the trash but I always had a hard time tossing it. It looked like meat and smelled like meat. But, it sure ain’t meat…at least most of it ain’t meat. I’d even save some of it to give to the dogs as is; you know, a bite-at-a-time. Even storing in the fridge, the hassle of reaching in that greasy zipper bag and pulling out a piece as a bite-at-a-time treat resulted in the dogs really not getting much and then eventually the this-has-been-in-here-too-long worries start. Then…trash.
Dog Cookies!
So, eventually I created this dog cookie recipe that has been such a success with our dogs. I figured I’d share it with you all. No, there’s no beer in these cookies…none that “survived” the cooking process. This recipe is just lagniappe… Bon Appetit! to the pups in your life!
P.S. Dare you to try one…
The Cast Iron
Most all y’all gonna have a large, flat cast iron reversible grill/griddle.
(affiliate links in this article)
These work best; you can really load up the cookies on all that cast iron “real estate.”
However, piece of cast iron you have will work just fine. A large cast iron skillet will work well to…or a small one with multiple batches.
The Supplies
Food Processor – You’ll be hard pressed to create this recipe without a way to grind the meat-ish mix into the flour and parsley mix.
Rolling Pin – To roll the dough out for cutting.
Fork – Optional to score the raw cookies
Cookie or Biscuit Cutter – I can totally see someone getting a bone-shaped cookie cutter LIKE THIS ONE to cut these cookies out.
- Wax Paper – Optional. We use it to keep the cookies from sticking to the counter top. But, given enough oil, you’ll likely not have any stickage.
Ingredients
1 – 1 ½ Cups of Meat-ish Mix
1 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ Teaspoon of Salt
¼ Cup of Oil or Fat
1 Bunch of Parsley (cut the stems off; they will not grind very well)
Prepare the Ingredients
Step 1: Measure all the ingredients out and separate the dry from the wet.
Step 2: Get the food processor at the read.
Step 3: Pre Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
The Dry Stuff
Step 4: Add the 1 – 1 ½ Cups of meat-ish mix to the food processor first. Order is not that important but if you start with the thicker materials and add the flour afterwards, the processing part will work a bit better.
Step 5: Add the Bunch of Parsley. Dogs may like the meat flavor but some of their breath compares to that of Satan himself. Holy moley! Parsley is like a tic tac for doggies (well…not really).
Step 6: Add the 1 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
Step 7: Add the salt. This is optional but encouraged; it’ll enhance the flavor (yes…I have tried one or two).
Step 8: Run the food processor for a few moments until the mixture resembles a crumbly, dry cake mix texture.
The Wet Stuff
Step 9: Add the two eggs. This is the “glue” to hold the cookies together.
Step 10: Add the fat. You could just add some beef fat that you’ve been saving or some bacon fat. You’ll not need too much. We use ¼ of a cup and add more fat if the cookie dough does not form or is too crumbly.
Step 11: Process all the ingredients to a semi-sticky dough ball. Trust me; you’ll have to be patient as the dough comes together. I’ll take a few minutes.
If you add any more “wet stuff,” it’ll just get gummy, and you’ll have to add more flour. If the dough is just not coming together then add more flour. Feel free to drop me an email if you are having trouble with this process. It’s the same process we use to make a pie crust.
Once you start seeing the “wad” of dough start to “orbit” around those food processor blades, the dough is ready to pull out.
Step 12: Remove the dough ball from the food processor and roll the dough flat on an oiled surface. We use oil on wax paper or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking. Wetter cookies will be stickier. If the dough is sticking to your fingers; it’s too wet.
How thick do we roll the cookies out?
I like a thinner cookie; it gives the cookie a “crunch” and, as the theory holds, will help keep the dog’s teeth a bit cleaner. But there’s nothing wrong with going from “cookie” to “biscuit.” A thicker cookie (like in the video at time 4:20), will be softer and easier to chew…a good choice for your older, “dentally-challenged” pups.
Step 13: Cut the cookies out. Any shape is A-OK. I suggest not cutting them in squares of you plan to toss them to the dog for catching. Ever had a corn chip “hook” sideways in your mouth? Those edges will cook harder than the center and will likely poke the inside of the dog’s mouth.
Step 14: (Optional). Use a fork to score the cookies for more even cooking. They will not rise; there’s no soda or yeast in these cookies.
Step 15: As round shapes go, there are always those bits and parts left from cutting the cookies. Stack the cut and scored cookies up and gather all the bits and pieces. Roll them back up and cut more cookies out. Keep going until all the dough is cut out into cookies.
Step 16: Place them on the cast iron griddle (the flat side). You could add some oil but it’s not usually necessary unless your cookies are a bit sticky.
Step 17: Bake the cookies in the oven for about 30 minutes. After about 20 minutes you could give them a turn, but this is not necessary.
Step 18: After they are baked, pull them out for cooling. You can either use a cooling rack (LIKE THIS ONE), lay them out on a towel, or you can just let them cool on the griddle surface.
And that is about as easy as it comes.
Beer and Iron’s Beef Cookies for Dogs
Equipment
- Large, cast iron griddle.
- Food Processor Essential
- Rolling Pin
- Fork Optional
- Wax Paper Optional
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Meat-ish Mix 1 – 1 ½ Cups of Meat-ish Mix – This is any left over ligaments, cartilage, marrow, and meat bits you would normally throw away after cooking or making bone broth.
- 1 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt Optional
- 1/4 Cup Oil / Fat / Lard
- Bit Oil Just a bit of oil to keep the cookies from sticking to the surface you are rolling the dough out on.
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley Cut the stems off; they will not grind very well
Instructions
- Measure all the ingredients out and separate the dry from the wet.
- Get the food processor at the read.
- Pre Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
The Dry Stuff
- Add the 1 – 1 ½ Cups of meat-ish mix to the food processor first. Order is not that important but if you start with the thicker materials and add the flour afterwards, the processing part will work a bit better.
- Add the Bunch of Parsley. Dogs may like the meat flavor but some of their breath compares to that of Satan himself. Holy moley! Parsley is like a tic tac for doggies (well…not really).
- Add the 1 ½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour
- Add the salt. This is optional but encouraged; it’ll enhance the flavor (yes…I have tried one or two).
- Run the food processor for a few moments until the mixture resembles a crumbly, dry cake mix texture.
The Wet Stuff
- Add the two eggs. This is the “glue” to hold the cookies together.
- Add the fat. You could just add some beef fat that you’ve been saving or some bacon fat. You’ll not need too much. We use ¼ of a cup and add more fat if the cookie dough does not form or is too crumbly.
Create the Dough
- Process all the ingredients to a semi-sticky dough ball. Trust me; you’ll have to be patient as the dough comes together. I’ll take a few minutes.
- Remove the dough ball from the food processor and roll the dough flat on an oiled surface. We use oil on wax paper or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking. Wetter cookies will be stickier. If the dough is sticking to your fingers; it’s too wet.
- Cut the cookies out. Any shape is A-OK. I suggest not cutting them in squares of you plan to toss them to the dog for catching. Ever had a corn chip “hook” sideways in your mouth? Those edges will cook harder than the center and will likely poke the inside of the dog’s mouth.
- (Optional). Use a fork to score the cookies for more even cooking. They will not rise; there’s no soda or yeast in these cookies.
- As round shapes go, there are always those bits and parts left from cutting the cookies. Stack the cut and scored cookies up and gather all the bits and pieces. Roll them back up and cut more cookies out. Keep going until all the dough is cut out into cookies.
- Place them on the cast iron griddle (the flat side). You could add some oil but it’s not usually necessary unless your cookies are a bit sticky.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for about 30minutes. After about 20 minutes you could give them a turn, but this is not necessary.
- After they are baked, pull them out for cooling. DONE!
